Ahoy there - Polo and Batty :3

Behind her own reflection in the mirror, Desire could see that Lex was just now waking up. She chuckled and continued working at the knots, but watching the man at the same time. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw him reach his arms skyward in a lazy stretch, wearing nothing but boxers. It was clear what he was doing, and it was having some effect on her. Yeah, she was smarter than most girls when it came to him - or so she hoped - but that didn't mean he didn't affect her.
"You're more of a whore than I am." She called after him as he disappeared in the tiny bathroom.
The sound of the running water prompted her to start thinking. Lex was going to be leaving soon, that much was clear. But did he actually even want her to come? She wasn't going to be as good at everything as he was, especially the lying part. She was okay for lies made up on the spot, but long term ones? She'd never keep them straight, especially if she had more than one going on at once. She wondered how Lex did it.
A few short minutes later, the white haired man came out of the bathroom, his signature smile splitting his face. He walked behind Desire and mussed her hair, making her squirm away. Her hair was not something to be messed with at this hour of the morning.
"This help?" He asked playfully.
"Yeah, it helps." She muttered under her breath. "It's gonna help get your ass murdered.
But he didn't hear the comment because he was walking away, back over to his stuff. Then he glanced back at her.
"Come on, you're coming, right? We've got to find some ship to lie our way on to before all the good ones are taken."
Desire sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming with. But you're doing all the lying. I can't really talk if I'm a slave, right?" After all, that was the easiest explanation for their strange relationship. She smiled brightly and grabbed the baggy pants and the silk blouse from her bed. They were the only other clothes she had and she wasn't too keen on throwing anything away just yet. Who knew when it would come in handy?

"Yeah, yeah." Lex agreed with an airy wave of his hand, "I'll do the talking, and you can just follow my lead." He shrugged, and flashed a cheeky smirk as he added, "It should be fun. I've never had a slave before."
With all his things gathered into a bag that he slung over his shoulder, Lex walked over to Desire and poked her teasingly in the small of her back. "You ready to go?" He nagged, "I want to get out of here before somebody comes in and lobs my head off. I've caused some deep shit in this town now..." Lex chuckled, but even so, the thought seemed to make him slightly nervous. He had seldom been in so much trouble before, and the previous day had been a very close call, after all.

Once Desire was ready, the two headed out of the inn. Lex actually had the decency to pay for their room, and before long they were out on the streets again, with Lex being oddly quiet. He looked extremely tense and anxious, which was strange given his usually easygoing personality.
They headed down to the docks, and walked along quietly while Lex inspected the boats from a distance with a keen eye.
"What do you think we should do?" He asked quietly, stopping and turning to Desire, "Do we steal one that the two of us could commandeer on our own, or do we talk our way onto somebody else's?"

They quickly headed out of the inn and through the streets of the silent town. The sun had just barely begun to peek over the horizon in the distance, making it a little hard to see. The sailors were out, getting all of their ships ready and doing whatever sailor stuff that they needed to do. She kept a careful eye out for the red faced man from yesterday, but saw no sign of him. She didn't see anyone else that looked bad either. Nobody seemed suspicious of them either, which was also good.
At his question, Desire bit her lip and considered it carefully. She'd stowed away on a ship before, and while it was challenging, it was possible. She'd be okay with completely hiding. If Lex talked his way on board, that would probably be the safest. They would be able to get food, drink, decent quarters, etc. But then there would be the problem of his constant lying, and he was trying to get away from that. Or at least the people he'd lied to.
If they stole their own boat... That sounded dangerous. Adventurous. Well, first they would have to find a boat small enough for the two of them to handle by themselves, and she wasn't sure if there were any. And Lex would have to know what he was doing, because she didn't. He'd have to tell her what to do - which would help her get used to the whole slave bit - but she would still be pretty useless when it came to that.
"I think that if you can handle a boat by yourself, that would be the best choice." She answered carefully after thinking on it. "I would be useless when it came to the whole sailing part, but I could do some other things around to help out."
She shrugged. "Besides, we don't want to lie to the people getting us out of here, do we? What if the sailors end up being 'reformed pirates'?" She smirked at him and glanced back over the dock. "It's completely up to you; I'm just telling you what I'd be able to do."

"Hm." Lex nodded, "I agree. Frankly, I think it would be good for me to go off the grid and lie low for a while..." He turned back to the harbour, biting his lip, and added thoughtfully, "But of course, then we have the problem of finding a small enough boat... Let's keep walking."
They walked on past the lines of boats tied at the dock, until at last Lex found one small enough that he thought he'd be able to handle, yet sturdy enough to brave the seas, at least to an extent. It was just a small fishing boat, but it would do.
"There." He said, tapping Desire on the shoulder and pointing to it. "We'll take that one. Lie low and wait for my signal."
He shot Desire a wink, then casually approached the boat. He didn't bother sneaking or hiding; he just walked right up to it - just like all other sailors - and began readying it for sea. After battling with it for a while, he called, "Desire!" And waved her over.
Sometimes the best way to sneak around was not to sneak at all.
"Help me out here." He said as Desire reached him, Once I've got the anchor up, untie the boat, would you? And then hop on quick, 'cause it'll start floating away."
A man walking by shot him a curious glance, and Lex smiled at the stranger, commenting pleasantly, "Nice day for a sail, huh?"
"I guess..." The young man replied, stopping to frown at Lex, "Isn't that old man Yarrow's boat?"
"Yup!" He answered, jumping down from the boat with a grin, "Ain't she a beaut? Yarrow hired me to take care of his fishing for a while. Apparently the missus ain't doin' so well."
"Oh..." The youth responded, "That's a shame, poor Mrs Yarrow."
"Mhmm." Lex nodded, "Anyway, nice to meet you." They exchanged a brief smile, and then the youth went on his way, leaving Lex whistling casually to himself as he hopped back onto the boat, and pulled up the anchor.
"Alright, Dezzy." He said with a smile, signalling to his partner, "Untie her and hop on quick; let's hit the ocean."

Desire waited behind a couple of life rings. They whole dock smelled like fish, making her wrinkle her knows. She would probably have to get used to it if they were going to spend God knows how long at sea. A couple of men passed her by, looking curiously at her as she leaned against a swaying boat, but said nothing. They were the good sort; the ones with families and hot bowls of stew waiting for them when they got home.
She sighed and glanced over the side to see Lex brazenly walking up to a small fishing boat, not even bothering to hide. She narrowed her eyes at him, trying to figure out what his deal was. Wouldn't people stop him? It wasn't like he was familiar or anything.
But he got to the boat without any trouble, probably because he looked like he knew what he was doing. He fumbled around with the ropes and sails for a while before calling her over with a wave.
She gladly moved from behind her little fortress and trotted over to him, taking notice of the sailors moving to and fro their various positions. They regarded her with polite curiosity, but minded their own business, and for that she was thankful. She wasn't near as good of a liar as Lex was.
He told her that she would need to untie the ropes and immediately jump on, less the ship float away and she still be stuck on shore. She snorted, but nodded. She wouldn't exactly like to be left behind.
Just then a young man came by and looked at them with suspicious interest. Lex smiled and struck up a friendly half conversation with the fellow.
"Nice day for a sail, huh?"
"I guess... Isn't that old man Yarrow's boat?"
"Yup! Ain't she a beaut? Yarrow hired me to take care of his fishing for a while. Apparently the missus ain't doin' so well."
"Oh... That's a shame, poor Mrs Yarrow."
"Mhmm. Anyway, nice to meet you." The man nodded and began walking away. Desire turned her attention back to Lex, listening carefully for when she needed to untie the ropes holding the small ship to the dock.
"Alright, Dezzy." Then he nodded and told her to untie the ropes. She rolled her eyes at the diminutive of her name, but said nothing. The ropes unwound smoothly beneath her fingers, but the rough material chafed at her skin. Within a moment, the boat was floating away, and Desire scrambled to get onboard. In a less than graceful manner, she jumped on and nearly fell onto the floor. She grabbed Lex's shoulder, though, and pulled herself upright, a small smile on her face.

[[I'm thinking that for the timeskip, they could just chill on the boat for a month or so? Stopping occasionally for food and other stuff? Then they could go somewhere else in Africa, or possibly India or Asia or somewhere x3]]

((Sounds good. ))

When Desire scrambled onto the boat, Lex quickly darted over to catch her, but she caught herself on his shoulder, and stood upright with a smile, which Lex returned kindly.
"You okay?" He asked with a slight chuckle, setting her upright by the shoulders, and dusting her off. He stood before he for a moment, then glanced distractedly over his shoulder to see that the boat was veering off dangerously toward the next boat parked in the harbour.
"Woopsy!" He exclaimed, diving at the wheel and quickly steering the boat back onto the right track. "Focus, Lex... Focus..." He mumbled to himself, frowning as he fumbled with the wheel, obviously trying to remember how to captain a ship. He had not actually been at the helm for quite some time; but though it would take some remembering, he did know what he was doing.
"Desire, take down the sail, would you?" He asked, throwing out an arm to gesture to the sail, "Just pull on that rope and it should come down." He pointed to the rope, then cursed under his breath as he turned his attention back to the wheel, struggling to control where the boat floated without the use of the sail.

Lex returned her smile in a friendly fashion before turning his attention away from her and into managing the direction of the boat. It looked as if the two of them were going to crash into another boat. The sailors on that one looked at them with dread and apprehension, since Lex was clearly struggling to get control over the vessel.
The man began talking to himself and then shouted for Desire to take down the sail. She was about to reply with a sarcastic comment about how she didn't know how to do that when he gave her clearer instructions.
She quickly grabbed the rope and pulled downward with all of her strength, which wasn't that much, but it was enough. The sail gradually floated down the rough wooden pole, billowing and flapping wildly as it did. It nearly crashed down on top of her, but she got out of the way just in time.
Lex was still having a hard time steering, so she went over to the side of the ship and waited for further direction. She wasn't going ask right then and distract him, but she wanted to be available.

[[Bro, remember the rp we had with Mitch and Kelli? xD]]

((It was awesome. Until Mitch went soft. Pathetic human. But I still think Avery and Rhys was our best one... Remember that? I still miss it sometimes. ...That may be the one time I've managed to get a female character working. XD ))

Once the sail was down, Lex finally managed to gain some control of the boat, and soon enough they were sailing out to open sea. Sighing dramatically, Lex flopped down on the edge of the boat, and shot Desire a grin. "Pretty stressful, huh?" He questioned amiably, "You okay?"
He took a moment to check the compass and make sure the boat was moving in the right direction, then shrugged and walked over to Desire.
"Excited?" He asked, standing a little too close for comfort, and tilting his head slightly to one side in a questioning fashion. "This is going to be one hell of an adventure..." He let his gaze drift to the horizon, and added absentmindedly, "I can't remember the last time I did something like this. No crew or people to betray; just a plain old cruise." He laughed, "It's kind of nice, actually."

[[Rhys was a pathetic child xD I was reading the one with Mitch and Kelli and I'm cringing at my lack of writing abilities. And Kelli sucks as a character; her reactions are wayyyyy too unlikely. *grumbles unhappily*]]

Desire was a little more relaxed once they were out on the ocean. Just the two of them, no people looking for Lex, no people looking for her. It was good. The cries of the gulls above were comforting. Every now and then, waves would splash over the side of the boat and onto her feet, and soon the bottoms of her pants were soaked. It was a good thing that the sun was coming out now, or else she would be freezing.
She listened to his words, but didn't reply. It was like he was talking to himself, so why should she? But she didn't really understand the "no people to betray" part. She was a person too, right? She definitely capable of being betrayed - he might just take her back to Egypt or something - so why didn't he consider her a person?
Desire knew that she was reading too much into it, but she couldn't stop her mind from mulling over it.
Every now and then she glanced at the white haired man standing against the sunrise, looking prouder than ever.
"Do you have some medicine? We should probably treat this bite now..." She murmured quietly. She didn't really know if he could hear her.

((Naaah, that's not true. I've always enjoyed your writing. ))

Desire just ignored all his questions, and Lex began to feel slightly taken aback when she was silent for so long. It took a while, but at last she asked, out of the blue, "Do you have some medicine? We should probably treat this bite now..."
"Huh?" Lex asked, somewhat surprised by the sudden change of topic. "Oh! The bite, of course..."
He turned away and trotted over to his bag, rummaging through it until he found a small tub of disinfectant salve, and a roll of gauze.
"Here." He said, walking over to her and perching on the rail beside her. "Give me your arm." He encouraged, taking her arm in his hands, and gently applying the salve to the wound. He worked in silence, binding the gauze firmly around Desire's arm, and by the time he was done, he was still surprised by how quiet she was being.
"Hey..." He prodded gently, not letting go of her arm immediately, "Are you okay? You're being really quiet."

[[D'aw, why thank you Polo-poop. That means a lot ^^]]

Desire sighed and watched him with polite interest. He carefully took his arm in her own and began bandaging her hand, first wrapping a salve over the wound. It was cold and sticky and made her think of unpleasant things. Next, he took a roll of gauze and began binding the bite, even though that was probably a little overkill. It wasn't like the rat had bitten through her hand or anything. There just a few small punctures.
Oh well, it was better safe than sorry. Couldn't have it getting infected.
"Hey... Are you okay? You're being really quiet." He didn't let go of her hand as he asked this, and he seemed genuinely concerned. She felt her heart thump a little bit louder and she looked down, blushing. Maybe he could hear it.
"I'm fine." She murmured, glancing out over the rippling water. The crests sparkled under the rays of the slowly rising sun, giving an image that the surface of the ocean was actually covered in diamonds. "I'm just a little nervous. I don't even know you."
Desire lifted her eyes to meet his at that point. "I don't know who you are or what you're like. You said it yourself - you're a liar. How can I trust anything you say to me? How can I know anything you've said me was true?" She let out a nervous chuckle. "Hell, your name might not even be Lexus Knox."

((My pleasure, Battleaxe. ))

Lex mused over Desire's words, honestly considering them as he let his gaze move to the horizon. "I guess you can't trust anything I say." He said at last, laughing, "But you can trust me; unless you've got stuff for me to steal, in which case..." He trailed off, shrugging helplessly, and flashed her a sheepish smile. "Hey, I don't lie all the time. My name really is Lexus Knox." He nodded, "I dunno why I gave you my real name - it just seemed like a fun idea at the time, I guess."
He met her gaze, and added casually, "The bottom line is, I've never had any intention of betraying you, so even if I have lied, it was never with bad intentions, and that's what counts." He winked as he stood up, stepping toward the helm again, "You may not know who I am, but you know what I'm like, and that's what counts. I may be a liar and a cheat, but my personality is what it is-" He chuckled again, "Around you, anyway. I don't have any reason to screw around or hide, do I now?"

((Sleep time. Night. ))

[[Nighty night Polo Also I'm so proud of my icon right now, you literally have no idea.]]

Desire watched Lex's face frown as he concentrated, carefully deciding how to phrase his answer. It was good that he was using caution; that meant that he couldn't be lying, right? Lying was swift and natural to him. He was good at it and it came easily. If he was lying, he'd have an answer by now.
The man was quiet for so long that Desire almost asked another question. But he answered, going off on a tangent saying how he didn't lie all the time and his name actually was Lexus Knox. She was inclined to believe him on that point. That name was unique, and there was probably only one Lexus in the area. It wouldn't be easy to come up with that name, and even harder to hide it once it was out.
"The bottom line is, I've never had any intention of betraying you, so even if I have lied, it was never with bad intentions, and that's what counts. You may not know who I am, but you know what I'm like, and that's what counts. I may be a liar and a cheat, but my personality is what it is - Around you, anyway. I don't have any reason to screw around or hide, do I now?"
Desire shrugged as he turned to face her. "I don't know if you have any reason. I literally met you yesterday. And for all I know, you're secretly a slave trader and you're taking me to some colony. I can't be sure of anything about you.
"That's not to say I don't trust you - because we both know that I wouldn't be here if I didn't. You also don't even know what I'm like. Everything from before could have all been a façade, a mask, and you wouldn't know. What if I actually am quiet? What if I don't like people? What if I'm planning on how to kill you right now because I hate all you whites and want total freedom?" She smirked at the last part. It wasn't like the idea hadn't crossed her mind, but she never really considered it, nor did she plan to.

(( I don't know what it is... XD Haha! But it does look awesome. And I'm pretty proud of mine too, I have to say. ))

Lex listened to Desire as she listed all the possible lies they might have been telling one another, and all the heinous plans that each might have in motion at that very moment. He could not deny that it unsettled him slightly - he had never even considered the prospect of meeting a liar as good as him, one he could not see through - but he smiled anyway, and shrugged it off.
"Hey, if you were going to kill me, you would have done it last night." Lex pointed out with a chuckle, "One person can't steer this ship, honey." He winked, and added, "And believe me, I'm no slave trader. You'd make a shitty slave anyway; I like you far better as a whore."
Flashing a dazzling smile, Lex cuffed her playfully in the back of the head, then stood up and flounced over to the helm, taking up the wheel and steering their boat back on course. He yawned placidly, and gazed happily out over the sea.

((Feel free to skip now - my ideas are officially gone. ))

Desire shrugged at his counters. She wasn’t saying that it was true; she was simply providing possibilities. Lex wasn’t going to be the top dog all the time, and he needed to realize that there was going to be a person that would beat him at his own game, and he wouldn’t even realize it until it was too late.
“You’d make a shitty slave anyway. I like you far better as a whore.”
She rolled her eyes at the last part. Typical. But she was a fairly bad slave anyway. She never did her work, which resulted in a multitude of criss crossing scars along her back, made from bull whips. She shuddered and glanced out across the ocean. It was good. The dock was out of sight, and with it, all of her troubles. She felt safe out here, with just this small ship and the stranger. For some reason she trusted him. He made her feel safe.
“We’re going to be out here for a long time, just the two of us.” She said after a while of silence. “Why not tell me about yourself?”


[[It's the logo from my favorite dubstep group, Feed Me. I colored the background so it looks like it's popping out of the website xD And you can timeskip any time you want - I just thought I'd give you a prompt if you wanted it x3 I won't be on until after you're asleep, though, so take as much time as you want.]]

((Aaaah, awesome! ))

After the pair had spent some time sitting in companionable silence, Desire turned to Lex, and said, “We’re going to be out here for a long time, just the two of us. Why not tell me about yourself?” He glanced at her in surprise, honestly taken back by the suggestion. He couldn't remember the last time he had talked about himself. Perhaps he never had...
But somehow, this time, it made sense.
"I guess it can't hurt..." Lex mumbled in response, frowning thoughtfully, as though trying to determine if, somehow, this decision could in fact harm him.
"Well," He mused, "You already know who I am and what I do..." Lex trailed off, still wondering if he was actually going to tell his story. At last, he seemed to decide that he had nothing to lose.
"I have to be honest," He chuckled, "At this point I can barely remember what's real and what's fake. I've been lying and stealing my way across the ocean for pretty much as long as I can remember. I figured it was just in my nature... I like the rush. Maybe that sounds weird, but..." He trailed off, "I don't know. It's exciting to steal something and know you might get caught, or to lie to somebody's face and know that you could convince them of anything you please... But sometimes I wonder if it's not just habit..."
Lex frowned, thinking back to his childhood. He didn't want to relive all that, much less tell Desire. While it had not been a complete disaster, it had certainly not been pleasant for him.
His mother had abandoned him at a young age, leaving him in a basket outside the door of a wealthy family. But before they could find him, he was stolen by the man that he had come to know as his father.
With a curly grey mane of hair and a shaggy beard on his chin, the gnarled old sailor had looked rather like a lion, and he had acted every inch as fierce as he looked. From the moment Lex could walk and talk, his father had been sending him out to help run all sorts of ploys. The man was a con artist, and while Lex was young, he had simply served as a distraction... But as he and his father both slowly began to age, Lex had eventually been forced to go out and run the ploys himself.
In those days, he had hated it. Too many times he had ruined the lives of innocent people, good people, and if he ever objected, it would earn him a beating.
Drink had killed his father eventually, and after fleeing to a ship to stow away, Lex had somehow become the guard dog of the royal navy, sent out to sniff out pirates and throw them into cells. But by that point his mind was screwed, and all he knew how to do was what he had been taught: Lie, steal, lie some more...
So he bounced from side to side in the great war between the pirates and the navy, and somehow his quick-thinking mind managed to keep him alive.
It was a tough life, and sometimes he wished that he still had a clearer conscience, but he was what he was, and he couldn't change that.

Dragging himself back out of his thoughts, Lex shot Desire a smile. "There's not much worth talking about." He admitted, shrugging, "You don't need to know my life's story. But if it makes any difference to you; the man I am right now is thinking of making a change..." He stroked his chin thoughtfully, "It might not be so bad to try a bit of honesty, at least for a while. I've got to shake things up every now and then, don't I?"

Lex looked off into the distance after she posed her question, formulating his thoughts carefully. He went on to talk about how she already knew what he was and what he did - which was true, but she was still a little unsure of what exactly he did. The details weren't all that relevant, however she did like to know a thing or two about people.
Then he kept quiet, his face changing expressions quickly. They were subtle and hard to identify, but they were there, and she could tell he wasn't remembering things very fondly. Whatever had happened in his childhood definitely had an impact on him, and she could guess that it wasn't for the better.
"There's not much worth talking about. You don't need to know my life's story. But if it makes any difference to you; the man I am right now is thinking of making a change... It might not be so bad to try a bit of honesty, at least for a while. I've got to shake things up every now and then, don't I?"
Desire frowned and pondered his words. Yes, it was true she didn't need to know his life story, and she respected that if he didn't want to tell. But the more she knew about what went into making him, the more she could know about how he worked, how his mind ticked. She'd have a better ability to judge his reactions and his words, see if he was lying or not. She might not be able to, even with the knowledge of his past, but it would leave her in a better position than before.
"Your past is always worth talking about, Lex." She said quietly. "It shapes you, defines who you are. That's not to say you can't change, but you're definitely influenced by it. It becomes a part of you."
She looked up and met his eyes.
"And I would appreciate it if you tried honesty; it would really make things easier on me, not having to analyze every single thing you say." She twitched the corner of her mouth up in a small smile and stood up. "I think you can manage this on your own for a while. I am going to sleep, because I really enjoy it. Good night - or morning, whatever it is - Lex."

[[Anddddd commence the timeskip!]]

((My brain is dead, so just going to do a short one for now. I'm trusting you to bring in some twists soon, okay? XD My creativity is dead and buried. :3 ))

After their talk Desire went to sleep, and Lex was left to stay up and steer the boatd alone; not that he minded.
Over the next few days, though, he taught Desire to do the same, because he came to realize that he too would need sleep. Their journey was relatively uneventful, and the two got along just fine. Lex was surprised to find that he didn't grow sick of Desire's company after so much time together, and once again he began to realize how much he liked having her around. In fact, he was actually growing rather fond of the girl. He didn't like the idea of being separated from her after all that, and he found himself secretly hoping that she would stick with him for a good while longer.
It felt good not to be alone any more.

They had been out at sea for nearly three weeks when at last Lex looked through his stolen telescope, and saw something that made his heart leap with excitement.
Land!
He spun around to find Desire sleeping in her usual spot, and hurried over to her, shaking her gentle awake.
"Dezzy, hey," He called softly, flashing a bright, beaming grin, "There's land! We've reached land!"

"There's land! We've reached land!"
The words woke Desire from the unrestful sleep she'd been in. Although she was getting used to life on the ocean, she still hadn't gotten used to the constant rolling and bumping of the waves. More than once she'd gotten seasick, much to Lex's delight. He liked to tease her, she found.
But land? They had been on the ship for weeks, without any ounce of navigation. At first, they'd eaten out of their supplies regularly. But in the last few days, food had become scarce. They both knew that they needed to find land soon in order to get more, and by sheer luck they had found it. About time, too, she thought as her stomach groaned.
Desire appeared on deck in a flash, a grin plastered onto her face. "Thank god." She muttered, moving over to where Lex was standing at the front of the small boat. If she squinted, she was just able to make out the distant peaks of a mountain. She judged that at this rate, they would reach wherever this was sometime just before nightfall. They could earn - or steal - some money and rent a room in an inn and spend the night there, then explore the town the next morning. After they had showered. She had gotten used to the odor that accomponied them - after all, there were no bathing facilities - but she supposed that those people would not be so welcoming if they smelled like fish.
"Do you know where we are?"

[[Does this being a deserted island sound okay?]]

((Sounds good. ))

"Not a clue." Lex answered cheerfully when Desire asked where they were, "But I know we're not lost at sea any more, and that's what matters." He flashed a cheeky grin, "Not that I was lost or anything. I totally planned to sail here."
Winking cheerfully, he took up the wheel again, and began humming under his breath as he steered them toward the island.

It was just before nightfall when they finally washed up on the deserted beach of the island. Between the two of them, they managed to haul the boat up onto the shore, and Lex dropped the anchor to hold it steady.
Once the boat was sorted he straightened up, stretching his back, and gazed over the island with mild curiosity.
"Looks pretty quiet, doesn't it?" He asked Desire, scanning the long, empty beach and the jungle of sorts growing beyond.
"What do you think the odds are of finding a town in there?" He asked dubiously, "Or at least a shower and a bite to eat?"

There was literally nothing human on the island. They washed up on shore, onto a small sandy beach.. Jungle covered the island on all sides of them, and behind them lay only the relentless pounding ocean.
So much for showers and food.
Lex voiced his concern just as Desire was thinking this.
"Anything's possible, I guess." She said with a hopeless shrug. She had a feeling that they were the only humans on this part of the land, although there were probably plenty of animals. "Whadya say we have a look around?"
A mischievous smile pulled up her lips and she deviantly wagged her eyebrows with a laugh. She pushed him into the sand and took off in the general direction of the forest, breaking through the vines and leaves carelessly, not noticing any kinds of scratches that they left on her skin, even though there were plenty of those. The hardened soles of her feet barely felt anything on the uneven ground as she flew through the plants and wildlife. She heard strange birds and saw colorful insects. She even startled a small rabbit-type thing from a bush. It dashed out in front of her and she chased it for a minute before finally giving up.
Suddenly she realized that she was pretty far from the beach.
"Uh... Lex?" She called, twirling around.

"Anything's possible, I guess." Desire responded, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. Lex just chuckled in response. He supposed he ought to have been more nervous - winding up on a deserted island and all that - but he had a boat and a compass, and the sea had always been more friend than foe to him. He was confident that he could find civilization if and when he needed to.
"Whadya say we have a look around?" Desire suggested eagerly, and Lex couldn't help but return her smile. "Right behind you." He answered, but before he could take a step, she had shoved him roughly over, sending him toppling into the sand.
"Oi!" He called after her with a laugh, spitting out mouthfuls of sand, "What was that for? You whore!"
He shook his head, chuckling to himself as he watched her dart off, and slowly stood and dusted himself off.
He set off after her in a jog, expecting to find her waiting just beyond the first few trees in the jungle. But when he walked inside and didn't see her, Lex felt a frown slide across his face.
"Dezzy?" He called, staring concernedly around at the bushes and ferns, and wondering which of them hid his companion.
Without her by his side, Lex began to feel somewhat anxious.
"Dezzy!" He called again, more firmly this time, "Come on out, would you?"
Of course he would arrive on a deserted island and lose his partner. That was just his luck.
Sighing to himself, Lex slapped on a positive attitude and began walking through the jungle, searching for Desire.
After all, she couldn't have gone very far.

"Lex? Lex!" Desire called again, turning around and walking in the general direction of what she remembered to be the beach. She wondered if he had tried to follow her in. She was surprised she had made it this far; after all, she wasn't used to jungle life in the least bit, having grown up in the deserts of Egypt and all. The wildest thing she'd ever gotten was possibly the little field of undergrowth behind her small hut.
Something rustled in the trees above, and she glanced up with fright. She suddenly had a feeling that she was being watched, stalked even. The sense of euphoria from running and escaping Lex was quickly fading and she was eager to find him again. She wondered if he was looking for her. Maybe he was and they were travelling in opposite directions, never to meet again.
Shivers coursed through her at the thought, and her stomach grumbled unhappily. Two completely different feelings, but both had roughly the same antidote. She needed to find Lex.
A flash of white in the distance caught her eye, looking vaguely like the hair of Lex's head. A relieved smile broke Desire's face and she began to walk forward more quickly. "Lex!"
Desire then stopped, her heart freezing for a brief moment. She was definitely being watched, although the pair of green eyes that glinted at her were definitely not human. A jungle cat stared her down from a branch of one of the trees in front of her, carefully assessing her. She had no weapons of any kind to deal with the beast, and it seemed to realize that. It, however, was equipped with a set of dangerously sharp claws.
"Shit." She uttered, and the creature sprang. She let out a horrible, ear splitting scream as she dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding its outstretched arms.

Lex continued to search for Desire, frowning in concern all the while. Frowning did not suit him, and he silently vowed that if he ended up with frown lines from all this, he would kill Desire. Well, not really, but he was pissed that she had run off, anyway. Grumbling to himself, Lex stopped and gazed around - just in time to hear a voice calling his name.
He spun around, heart leaping, and stared through the trees, searching for Desire's dark form.
Then he picked up some movement, followed by a loud scream.
Lex's eyes widened in panic, and he cursed as he sprinted forwards. He rummaged in his bag as he ran, digging out his trusty (if slightly rusted) dagger. Once his fingers closed around the handle, he dropped his bag, and suddenly plunged through the thick vegetation to reach a clearing, where he saw Desire and what he took for a Jaguar sizing one another up.
Lex darted between them just in time to counter the cat's second attack, and with an angry growl, he blocked the pounce with his arms, and threw the beast back to the ground. It twisted as it fell, landing on its feet, then dropped into a threatening crouch and hissed at Lex.
"Get the f*ck out of here!" He roared, stepping towards it with arms raised threateningly, "Go on, get!"
The snarled, and with an angry growl, it launched itself at Lex a second time. He grunted as it struck him, claws tearing a nasty rip in his arm. This time, the force of the pounce was enough to knock him off his feet.
The cat's bared teeth flashed at Lex's throat, and then there was a flash of red as blood gushed up from the tangle of fur and limbs. For a moment both were still, but then Lex groaned as he shoved the cat's heavy body off him and rolled over onto his side, coughing. The knife in his hand was stained with blood, and the cat moved no more.
Lex sat there a while, braced on one trembling arm, and coughed desperately as he tried to gasp some air into his winded lungs.
When at last he could breathe again, Lex climbed slowly to his feet, and tenderly clutched the three deep, bleeding gashes halfway up his left arm.
"What were you thinking?!" He demanded, wheeling to face Desire with an angry snarl on his face. Anger was just one more thing that didn't suit Lex; he was almost never angry, but now that he was, it was frightening. "Damn it, Desire! Why would you run off like that, huh? Why wouldn't you wait for me?! F*ck - don't you get that this place is dangerous?" He cast a revolted glance at the dead jaguar, and spat on the ground.
Then he looked back at Desire, his expression unchanging.
"God," He growled, "I can't even look at you right now." He sighed, shaking his head, then started walking unsteadily toward the beach, still a little dizzy from the shock of facing off against that jaguar. "Follow me." He called back over his shoulder, "And heaven help you if you don't."

The two of them appraised each other for a moment. Desire tried to appear strong, frightening in front of the jaguar, but it saw through her disguise. It walked in a slow circle around her, determining how exactly the best approach would be to attack this stranger. She wondered if he had ever even seen a person before.
Suddenly, the cat leapt again, a horrible growl rising in its throat. Time seemed to stop as its giant body descended upon her, dagger-like claws extended to rip her to shreds. Her eyes widened and her throat tightened so that she couldn’t scream. This was the end, obviously.
But a form flashed in front of her, intercepting the beast’s path. The person – whom Desire immediately recognized as Lex – blocked the creature using only his arms, something that she couldn’t comprehend. The jaguar fell to the side, backing away warily, crouched low and ready to pounce again. Its ears swiveled and its tail swept the ground. He let out another growl, baring his teeth.
”Get out of here! Go on, get!” Lex’s voice rang through the air. It was powerful and commanding and terrified Desire. She had never heard him talk like this before.
This seemed to only infuriate the giant cat. It leapt forward and buried its claws into Lex’s body. Desire tried to scream, but couldn’t. She was frozen, paralyzed.
Blood spurted up from the two battling forms, and she was sure that the cat had just torn out Lex’s throat. There was absolutely no way that Lex could survive that attack, none at all. She sank to her knees as her legs gave out from under her, the bed of rotting leaves on the ground providing a soft place for her to land.
But Lex emerged from underneath the beast, throwing the carcass to one side. The two of them sat there for a while, Lex catching his breath and Desire attempting to comprehend what had just happened. It was hard, yes. How could you explain someone that killed a jaguar with only a small knife? You couldn’t. It was some sort of miracle.
She was about to voice her thankfulness to him when he began talking in a way that sounded like the jaguar’s growling. “What were you thinking?! Damn it, Desire! Why would you run off like that, huh? Why wouldn't you wait for me?! F*ck - don't you get that this place is dangerous?”
The words cut into her even more than his anger. The last part, the waiting for him part – that indicated that since he was a male, or since that he was white, that he was stronger than her, able to protect her. That she was a damsel in distress that needed constant saving and the only way that that could possibly be prevented is if she stayed with him everywhere they went.
She thought he was better than that.
"God, I can't even look at you right now. Follow me. And heaven help you if you don't."
She thought it was wise not to make him even more angry, no matter how irritated she was. He did have a right to be mad, but still. This reaction was completely uncalled for.
“What are you, my mother?” She muttered as she followed him back down to the beach. She was a little wobbly too, but mostly from fear.